Reusable dual-arch anterior dental impression tray

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a dual arch anterior dental impression tray including a generally opened C-shaped mouthpiece ( 10 ) and an insert ( 12 ). The mouthpiece ( 10 ) having a front side ( 16 ), a back side ( 18 ), an upper rim ( 38 ), a lower rim ( 42 ), a left end and a right end, the back side ( 18 ) having a concave surface ( 26 ) extending from the left end to the right end, the concave surface ( 26 ) including a generally longitudinally extending curved groove ( 28 ), the left end and right end each include a connector. The insert ( 12 ) including a front portion ( 48 ) having a curved frame ( 52 ), the curved frame ( 52 ) includes a left end and a right end, the curved frame ( 52 ) is adapted to fit snugly into the curved groove ( 28 ), the insert ( 12 ) includes a mesh material extending from and within an area defined by the curved frame ( 52 ), the curved frame left end and right end each include a connector, wherein the insert left connector is adapted to connect with the mouthpiece left connector and the insert right connector is adapted to connect with the mouthpiece right connector.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority to New Zealand Application No.601887, filed Aug. 16, 2012, and New Zealand Application No. 614069,filed Aug. 8, 2013, the entire contents of which both are herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of dental apparatusand more specifically to dental apparatus for taking impression ofteeth, particularly anterior teeth, to assist in the production ofdental prosthetics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dental impression trays are formed as a solid shape that is anatomicallyshaped to fit over the patient's teeth. An impression material is thensecured in the tray, often with an adhesive, before being placed insidethe patient's mouth where they bite down on the impression materialuntil it sets. The tray, with set impression material, is then removedfrom the patient's mouth and is used as a mould to form a model of thepatient's dentition.

Dental impression trays can be single-arch trays, where they take animpression of either the upper or lower arch, or dual-arch trays, wherethey take an impression of both upper and lower arches simultaneouslyand a bite registration.

To make perfect impressions, moulds, and dental prostheses, thestability of a dual-arch tray is critical. Current bite trays lack thisstability due to their construction material and/or design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an anterior dualarch dental impression tray that provides an improved anatomical fit inboth the horizontal and vertical plane.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an anteriordual arch dental impression tray that produces an accurate andundistorted impression.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide ananterior dual arch dental impression tray that provides the requiredstability while taking an impression.

The present invention provides a dual arch anterior dental impressiontray including a generally opened C-shaped mouthpiece and an insert. Themouthpiece having a front side, a back side, an upper rim, a lower rim,a left end and a right end, the back side having a concave surfaceextending from the left end to the right end, the concave surfaceincluding a generally longitudinally extending curved groove, the leftend and right end each include a connector. The insert including a frontportion having a curved frame, the curved frame includes a left end anda right end, the curved frame is adapted to fit snugly into the curvedgroove, the insert includes a mesh material extending from and within anarea defined by the curved frame, the curved frame left end and rightend each include a connector, wherein the insert left connector isadapted to connect with the mouthpiece left connector and the insertright connector is adapted to connect with the mouthpiece rightconnector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of the tray in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a back view of the tray of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an insert in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention, the insert is received by the trayof FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a dual-arch anterior dental impressiontray. The dual arch anterior impression tray includes a reusable trayand generally opened C-shaped mouthpiece 10 as shown in FIG. 1 and asingle-use insert 12 as shown in FIG. 6.

In one embodiment, the mouthpiece 10 is made of solid metal. Themouthpiece 10 includes a main body 14 having a front side 16, back side18, a left side 20 and a right side 22. A handle 24 extends forward fromthe front side 16. A concave surface 26 is formed by the back side 18,extending between the left side 20 and the right side 22. A groove 28runs along the horizontal internal length of the back side 18. Thegroove 28 ends in a modified horse-shoe shaped cavity 30 on both sidesof the tray as shown in FIG. 2. The groove 28 delineates the upperanterior arch 32 and the lower anterior arch 34 of the tray as shown inFIG. 5. The upper anterior arch 32 has a dip 34 at a mid portion 36 ofits upper rim 38 that allows for the upper lip frenum, as shown in FIG.3. The lower anterior arch 34 is slightly concaved 40 at the mid portion36 of the lower rim 42 to allow for the lower lip frenum, as shown inFIG. 3. The mid portion 36 of tray has vertical concavity 44 extendingbetween the upper rim 38 and the lower rim 42. This vertical concavity44 has two functions. One function is to avoid the incisors edges of theanterior teeth from touching the tray 10 and creating distortions. Theother function of the vertical concavity 44 is to act as a mechanicallock and prevent the vertical movement of the impression material.

In one embodiment, the position of the handle 24 is directly behind thecentral groove 28. The mouthpiece 10 may be reinforced at the handle 24as well as along the groove 28. The handle 24 functions as a carrier toplace and control the tray 10. Once the patient's lips are closed overthe mouthpiece 10, it also allows for self-positioning of the tray whilethe impression material sets.

In one embodiment, the insert 12 defines a front portion 48 and a backportion 50. The insert 12 includes a curved frame 52, the frame 52having a left side 54 and a right side 56, a mesh material 58, twonotches or connectors 60, 62 at the left side 54 and the right side 56,and lingual bulb 64. The frame 52 of the insert 12 can be completelyinserted into the central groove 28 present in the tray 10. The groove28 of the tray 10 locks the insert 12 in plane of the tray 10. Thisstabilizes the insert 12 when loading the impression material and alsowhen the patient bites down. The primary notch or generally rearwardfacing surface 60 on the sides of the insert 12 lock with a forwardfacing surface 63 of the horse-shoe shaped cavity 30 in the tray 10. Thelocking of the notch 60 with the cavity 30 prevents the insert 12 frombeing displaced from the tray 10. It also prevents movement of theimpression material when it is loaded and when the patient bites down.The secondary notch 62 stops the insert 12 from moving vertically. Thesecondary notch 62 may include a raised protrusion 66 on the upper side68 and lower side 70 at both the left side 54 and right side 56 of theframe 52. The raised protrusions 66 provide an interference fit withinthe groove 28. In one embodiment, the lingual bulb 64 defines agenerally hemispherical shaped portion. The lingual bulb 64 is molded asa single unit on the mesh material 58. Alternatively, it may be moldedas two separate symmetrical units that can be put together. When viewedend on, the lingual bulb 64 has a hemispherical shape. The lingual bulb64 has a split or slit 72 in the middle. The split 72 allows for thelingual frenum. It will be appreciated that the lower portion of thelingual bulb 64 may be identical to the upper portion. Further, thelingual bulb 64 forms an opening 74 which faces away from the frontportion 48 of the insert 12. The lingual bulb 64 provides additionallocking of the impression material and directs the flow of impressionmaterial to accurately copy the internal side of the teeth and softtissues around. It also aids the flow of impression material such thatthe resulting impression forms minimal shadows. The lingual bulb 64 alsodecreases the amount of impression material used when copying thefeatures of the patient's mouth. This makes the central part of theimpression five times lighter thereby preventing distortions in biteregistration. The lingual bulb 64 provides an area for the patient'stongue while the impression material is setting, without distorting theimpression. FIG. 6 also shows a bead 76. The bead 76 may be formed by aseal between sealed haves of the lingual bulb 64. The bead 76 mayprovide a reinforcement or means to retain the mesh material 58.

The mesh material 58 integrates with the impression material creating aneven and thin water proof membrane that separates the upper archimpression from the lower arch impression and in turn constitute thepassive bite registration. The surface area of the mesh material 58included in the insert 12 is greater than the surface area generallyrequired. This additional surface area increases the volume ofimpression material the insert 12 can hold. The increase in volume ofthe insert 12 allows for greater accuracy due to passive biterelationship between the upper and lower teeth when they overlap duringthe bite record; thereby providing an anatomically accurate biteregistration.

It will be appreciated that the insert 12 may be designed to besymmetrical, such that the insert 12 need not be oriented with anyparticular side facing up or down. Such symmetry aids in the ease ofassembling the single-use insert 12 with a reusable tray 10.

The device works such that the insert 12 is fitted into the tray 10,making sure that the notches 60, 62 mechanically lock with thehorse-shoe cavity 30 in the tray 10. The impression material is loadedin the mesh area of the insert 12 on both sides. The tray 10 is insertedinto the patient's mouth by aligning the dip 34 in the upper arch 32centrally. The patient bites down on the impression material and closestheir lips over the tray 10. The patient also holds the handle 24 of thetray 10 using their lips.

Once the impression material is set, the tray 10 is removed from thepatient's mouth and sent to the dental laboratory after disinfection.Once the tray is cleaned, it is ready for use with another insert.

While the present invention has been described in connection with aspecific application, this application is exemplary in nature and is notintended to be limiting on the possible applications of this invention.It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Itwill be appreciated that the present disclosure is intended as anexemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit theinvention to the specific embodiments illustrated and described. Thedisclosure is intended to cover, by the appended claims, all suchmodifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

I claim:
 1. A dual arch anterior dental impression tray comprising: a generally opened C-shaped mouthpiece (10), the mouthpiece (10) having a front side (16), a back side (18), an upper rim (38), a lower rim (42), a left end and a right end, the back side (18) having a concave surface (26) extending from the left end to the right end, the concave surface (26) including a generally longitudinally extending curved groove (28), the left end and right end each include a connector; and an insert (12), the insert (12) including a front portion (48) having a curved frame, the curved frame includes a left end and a right end, the curved frame is adapted to fit snugly into the curved groove (28), the insert (12) includes a mesh material extending from and within an area defined by the curved frame, the curved frame left end and right end each include a connector, wherein the insert left connector is adapted to connect with the mouthpiece left connector and the insert right connector is adapted to connect with the mouthpiece right connector.
 2. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece (10) includes a mid portion (36) between the mouthpiece left side (20) and right side (22), the back side (18) of the mouthpiece (10) at the mid portion (36) forms a concave shape extending between the lower rim (42) and upper rim (38).
 3. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the insert (12) includes a back portion (50) with a generally hemispherical shaped portion (64) located at a mid portion (36) of the back portion (50), the hemispherical shaped portion (64) defining an opening (74) which faces away from the front portion (48) of the insert (12), the insert (12) defining a top side and a bottom side, wherein the hemispherical shaped portion (64) includes a slit (72) extending along the top side from the opening (74) and towards the front portion (48) of the insert (12).
 4. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 3, wherein the hemispherical shaped portion (64) includes a slit (72) extending along the bottom side from the opening (74) and towards the front portion (48) of the insert (12), and the insert (12) is symmetrical.
 5. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 3, wherein the hemispherical shaped portion (64) is a single piece component made of plastic material, and the mesh material extends between the frame and the hemispherical shaped portion (64).
 6. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 3, wherein the hemispherical shaped portion (64) is formed from a two halves, each half made of plastic material, and the mesh material extends between the frame and the assembled hemispherical shaped portion (64).
 7. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece (10) includes a handle (24) extending from the front side (16).
 8. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 7, wherein the handle (24) is generally horizontally aligned with the groove (28), and the cross section of the mouthpiece (10) is reinforced in the area of the handle (24) and groove (28).
 9. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece (10) is made of a metal material and is intended to be re-used.
 10. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the frame is made of a flexible plastic material and the mesh material is made of nylon material.
 11. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the connectors of the mouthpiece (10) includes a cut out at the mouthpiece first end and second end, each cut out defining a forward facing surface, and the connectors of the insert (12) include a generally rearward facing notch (60) at the insert first end and a generally rearward facing notch (60) at the second end, wherein each notch (60) is adapted to engage with a respective forward facing surface formed by the respective cut out.
 12. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 11, wherein the cut out at the left side (20) extends through the groove (28) and the cut out at the right side (22) extends through the groove (28).
 13. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 12, wherein each cut out forms a generally horse shoe shaped cavity (30).
 14. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the insert (12) include a top side and a bottom side, and wherein the connector at the left end and the right end of the frame (52) each include a raised protrusion (66) on the top side and bottom side, the raised protrusion (66) provide an interference fit with the groove (28).
 15. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the insert (12) is symmetrical.
 16. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the groove (28) delineates the mouthpiece (10) into upper and lower anterior arches where the upper arch has a greater height than the lower arch.
 17. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece (10) includes a midportion and includes a dip (34) at the midportion of the upper rim (38) and the lower rim (42) is slightly concave at the mid portion.
 18. The dual arch anterior dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein the connectors include horizontal and vertical stabilizers. 